Resampling a time-series process: A method of estimating the probabilities associated with alternative plans for protecting pensions against inflation

Any pension protection formula that falls short of complete compensation for inflation has associated with it a time-series of probability distributions of future purchasing power losses. A method of estimating those distributions is proposed and applied. The method is based on the idea of representing inflation as a multivariate time-series process and using a model fitted to historical data to generate a large artificial sample of ‘realized’ inflation sequences by means of a bootstrapping procedure. The purchasing power losses under a given protection plan can then be simulated for each inflation sequence and the sample distributions calculated.     

Analysis of the intertemporal behaviour of parameter estimates from a model of the United States economy

Zusammenfassung Untersuchungen der Veranderungen von Parametersch?tzungen im Zeitablauf an einem Modell der Volkswirtschaft der Vereinigten Staaten. — Prognosen aufgrund ?konometrischer Modelle erfordern eine standige Revision, um die neuesten Daten einfügen zu k?nnen. Ein etwas vernachl?ssigtes Ergebnis besteht darin, da\ dabei die Sch?tzungen der zugrunde liegenden Parameter beeinflu\t werden. Es ist das Ziel der vorliegenden Abhandlung, die zeitlichen Ver?nderungen der Parameterschatzungen eines makro-?konomischen Modells, die aufgrund verschiedener Methoden gewonnen wurden, zu untersuchen. Die Studie kommt zu dem Ergebnis, da\ die Sch?tzwerte, die aufgrund einer Sequenzanalyse erzielt wurden, ausgepr?gten Trends folgen und da\ darüber hinaus die zeitlichen Perioden, die aufgrund alternativer Sch?tzmethoden bestimmt wurden, oft erheblich voneinander abweichen.

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Résumé Analyse des changements successifs dans l’estimation des paramètres d’un modèle de l’économie des Etats-Unis. — Le pronostic à l’aide de modèles économétriques exige une révision continuelle en vue d’incorporer les données les plus récentes. Le résultat, quelque peu négligé, en est que les estimations des param\ `etres de base en sont affectées. Cet article cherche à analyser les changements successifs des paramètres d’un modèle macro-économique — estimations qui furent trouvées par de différentes méthodes. L’étude arrive à la conclusion que les estimations trouvées par une analyse séquentielle suivent des tendances prononcées et, en outre, que les périodes trouvées par de différentes méthodes diffèrent souvent sensiblement l’une de l’autre.

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Resumen Análisis de las variaciones de paráetres estimados en el tiempo, utilizando un modelo de la economía de los Estados Unidos. — Proyecciones hechas con la ayuda de modelos econométricos requieren un revisión permanente con el fin de poder introducir los datos más recientes. El problems que entonces surge, y que nos recibe siempre la debida atenci?n, consiste en que las estimaciones de los paramé-tras reaccionen de alguna mariera. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar la variación de estas estimaciones en el tiempo; para ello se emplea un modelo macroecon?mico estimado por diversos métodos. El resultado del anàlisis es que las estimaciones conseguidas por medio de un análisis de secuencia muestran claramente un trend; ademas se puede ver que los resultados obtenidos a través de métodos de estimaci?n alternatives difieren a menudo de modo sustancial los unos de los otros.

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Riassunto Esami delle modificazioni di stime di parametro nel decorso del tempo in un modello dell’economia degli Stati Uniti. — Prognosi in base a modelli econometrici richiedono una revisione costante per poter inserire i dati più recenti. Un risultato un po’ trascurato consiste nel fatto che con ci? sono influenzate le stime dei parametri che sono alla base. E obiettivo del presente studio di esaminare le modificazioni temporali delle stime dei parametri di un modello macroeconomico che fu ottenuto in base a metodi diversi. Lo studio perviene al risultato che i valori di stima che furono raggiunti in base ad un’analisi di sequenza seguono ?trend? marcati e che oltre a ciò i periodi temporali che furono determinati in base a metodi di stima alternativi spesso differiscono in maniera rilevante.

     

INCOME-GENERATING FUNCTIONS IN A LOW INCOME COUNTRY: COLOMBIA

Income generating functions are statistical tools used to explain income inequality and other economic outcomes and behavior. These functions are often associated with a strict human capital framework, but they need not be. Instead, they may be viewed as a reduced form equation summarizing the relationship between income and various personal and locational characteristics. Following this latter interpretation, we develop the regression and analysis of variance approaches to income generating functions and estimate them empirically using micro-economic data from one low income country, Colombia. Proceeding to increasingly parsimonious specifications of income generating functions, insights are gained into the structure of incomes in Colombia.     

Information linkages between emission allowance and energy markets

We employ a rational expectations framework similar to that proposed by Fleming et al. (1998) to examine the source, and nature of, information linkages between the emission allowance and energy markets as gauged by the correlation of return volatilities. Estimating the model for bivariate pairings of securities suggests that market linkages arise from sensitivities to common information rather than from indirect spillovers, with emission allowances most strongly linked to the crude oil market.     

Worker Cooperatives in the Theory of the Firm: Marx and Veblen on Technological Determinism

This article contends that, in their treatments of worker cooperatives, the predominant theories of the firm adhere to the logic of technological determinism, and can accordingly be evaluated using the ideas of Thorstein Veblen and Karl Marx. Invoking these patriarchs’ respective distinctions between instrumental and ceremonial institutions and between the technical and social relations of production, the article argues that, contrary to contemporary theories of the firm, worker cooperatives possess an inherent but often latent advantage in implementing bureaucratic organizational structures, enjoying their instrumental/technical benefits for technology and coordination without incurring their ceremonial/social drawbacks for behavior and cooperation.     

Health and schooling investments in Africa.

This paper first outlines an organizing framework for considering how health and schooling affect labor productivity and growth, and how household and community factors can in turn affect the demand for these human capital investments. Both cross-country growth models and various aspects of microeconomic studies of individual productivity as related to education and health are discussed. The conclusion offers some tentative leads for policy in this area based on existing research, and an agenda for future research.     

Errors of aggregation and errors of specification in a consumer demand model: a theoretical note

Abstract .  Consumer demand models based on the concept of a representative or average consumer suffer from aggregation error. Misspecification of the underlying micro utility-maximizing model, which is virtually inevitable, also results in error. This note provides a theoretical investigation of the relationship between the two types of error. Misspecified expenditure support functions for demand systems at the micro level induce the same misspecified structure in the corresponding expenditure functions at the macro level, and the errors at the two levels are shown to be of similar order.